Half of travellers fly solo
Half of airline passengers fly alone, while hardly anyone gets the traditional wave off.
The Civil Aviation Authority’s Passenger Survey Report reveals 49% of the 230 million passengers who used UK airports in 2013 travelled solo.
London City Airport had the highest proportion of lone passengers (74%) followed by Aberdeen (72%) with East Midlands having the least (24%).
Not surprisingly, the majority of solo passengers were on business (86%).
For other passengers, 64% of those visiting friends or relatives (VFR) travelled alone as did 19% of leisure passengers.
At the same time very few people received a wave off from a friend or loved one – customary of fond farewell, with just 4% getting waved off from the terminal building
The group most likely to be waved on their way was the VFR group, totalling 8%, of the airports surveyed.
Birmingham Airport topped the charts with 27% of VFR passengers getting waved off, followed by Newcastle Airport at 20%. Less than 2% of business passengers were waved off.
The CAA’s 2013 Passenger Survey Report also reveals London City has the highest proportion of passengers travelling for business (55%), with the next highest being Heathrow (30%) and travellers from Heathrow took a higher proportion of trips (23%) lasting more than two weeks, with London City lowest (3%). Outside London, Manchester had the most (14%).
CAA director of regulatory policy, Iain Osborne, said: "Do airports know how few people are being waved off, have they considered why and does this have implications for drop off facilities?
"While there are many excellent viewing facilities at UK airports, our passenger survey data tends to suggest they are not being used that much, and this may highlight a missed commercial opportunity."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt